In accordance with Dutch Immigration law, there is a special visa, namely ‘non-temporary humanitarian’ visa. This is the official name of this special visa. For the reason of convenience, hereinafter, we will call it the independent child visa. With this visa, your children will become independent in terms of residence rights. They will be allowed to stay in the Netherlands and pursue their own (academic) career.

Requirements of the independent child visa

To apply for this visa, you and your children must meet certain requirements. The first prerequisite is that your current residence permit must be of “non-temporary” nature. This technical term means that a parent cannot apply for this residence permit for his/her children, if the parent himself/herself is on a student visa, an intra-company transfer visa or an au pair visa etc. The second condition is that your children came to the Netherlands before the age of eighteen. Third, when applying for the independent child visa, your children should have held a family member visa for more than a year, that is, at least one year and one day. During that year, your children’s residence permit does not have to be continuous. If your children have turned eighteen during their stay in the Netherlands, they are still eligible for the independent child visa.

Benefits of the independent child visa

The greatest advantage of the independent child visa is that your children’s right to live in the Netherlands is no longer dependent on yours. Normally speaking, if your employment ends or if your residence permit expires, a family member visa will be revoked or will not be extended by the IND. However, should your children have obtained an independent child visa, their residence rights remain intact and protected, regardless of your own visa status. The independent child visa is valid for five years. This visa gives the holder unrestricted access to Dutch labour market, which means your children are allowed to work without a work permit.

The independent child visa secures your children’s
future in the Netherlands and provides them with a wonderful pathway to
permanent residence and Dutch/EU citizenship.

According to the latest figures published by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, in 2018, the IND issued approximately 110 independent visas. Considering the large number of foreign expats living in the Netherlands, many parents are not aware of this beautiful opportunity for their children.

If you are interested in applying for this visa,
please feel free to contact Mynta Law B.V. at +31 (0) 70 205 1160 or
info@mynta.nl.